Earland Khan's Arc

Chapter 4 of 7

The wave and mountain led the brothers north. The map ended at the tallest peak in the land. Earland Khan climbed the frozen path with the first key heavy in his cloak. Snow bit his face. His coral staff tapped the stone. Above him yawned a mouth of dark rock hung with ice. Cold water ran down its walls and pooled at his boots. "The second key waits inside," Earland said. His breath clouded the air. Jimmy Khan leaned on his wooden staff and studied the cave. Age had slowed the old man, but his eyes missed nothing. "Something guards it," he said. "Always does." Brave Khan pushed past both his brothers, fists already smoking against the snow. The youngest Khan feared nothing. "Then let it come," he said, and grinned into the dark. It came. Hooves cracked the ice. From the shadows stepped a beast the size of a bull. It had the body of a mountain goat and the face of a grizzly bear. Huge horns curled back from its skull. A silver key hung from a chain at its throat. The beast lowered its head and roared. Brave hurled fire first. The flames splashed across thick fur and died in the falling snow. The beast charged. Its horns caught Brave in the chest and threw him against the wall. He slid down, stunned, his fire guttering out. "Together!" Earland shouted. He remembered the statue. One power alone had never been enough. "Jimmy, hold it!" Green light shot from the old man's staff. Roots burst from cracks in the stone and wrapped the beast's legs. It bellowed and strained, but the roots held. Earland raised his coral staff. He pulled water from the melting ice and the wet walls. A wave rose at his call. He froze it in the air, then drove it down. Ice sealed the beast's hooves to the floor. The guardian could not move. Brave dragged himself up. Blood ran from his lip. "My turn," he said. Both his fists blazed hot. He pressed them against the frozen fur and let the fire pour. Cold below, heat above. The beast screamed and thrashed, but the roots and ice pinned it fast. The fight broke it. The guardian's legs buckled. It crashed to the cave floor, chest heaving, too spent to rise. Earland stepped close. He gripped the chain at its throat and lifted the silver key free. Two keys now. He held one in each hand and felt the sunken castle draw closer. The golden city he meant to raise felt near enough to touch. Then the whole mountain groaned. Ice split from the ceiling and crashed down. The pool at their feet cracked and split wide. Cold water surged up from below and swallowed the cave floor. "The peak's coming apart!" Jimmy shouted. Earland shoved the keys into his cloak. The water rose fast around their boots. They had the second key. Now they had to escape the mountain before it buried them.